Since the invention of pedometer watches in the XIX century, the quantification of human physical activity has changed a great deal, especially since the appearance of watches having an electronic movement. The design of mechanical watches for such uses has been neglected, although many users are mechanical watch aficionados and do not wish to wear two different devices, one for measuring and displaying time and the other for measuring physical activity.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 4,460,823 A in the name of RUEHLEMANN GERHARD describes a pedometer for indicating distance travelled by a walker or a runner, comprising a mechanical digital counter, driven via a gear train from a ratchet wheel.
A pivoting pendulum is maintained in an at-rest position by a first biasing spring, which is suitable for use during walking. During running-type operation with more kinetic energy on the pendulum, a second return spring may be selectively engaged with the first biasing spring to increase the tension thereof, to absorb the additional energy without damage to the device. A movable stop for the pendulum comprises an external adjustment knob to set the pendulum travel according to the length of stride of the user. The user may change the length of stride and the walk/run mode without resetting the digital distance indicator.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 3,818,194 A in the name of BIRO describes a pedometer intended to indicate the distance travelled by the user, comprising inside a case a support plate for a distance indicator means, and drive means for the indicator means, said drive means comprise a gear train operatively connected to the indicator means, a pendulum, means for pivotally mounting one end of the pendulum to the plate, the pendulum being swingable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the support plate, in response to the strides of the user, means for converting the swinging motion of the pendulum into an incremental rotational motion of the gear train.